Refurbishing lead acid "traction" batteries (forklift etc)

[CompoSimmonite]

I'm interested in an old type electric car (Reva G Xiz ) which would lead acid batteries. A replacement set is around £1400 and conversion to Lithium over £2000.
To rebuild an old traction battery, I assume, would involve opening up the casing and replacing plates as necessary but surely that would produce a battery "as new" for a lower price than the new item.
Has anyone experience with having lead acid traction batteries professionally fully / properly refurbished.
Cheers

 

[gaz1]

look up indian lead acid battery repair its interesting

 

[Kram]

Lead acid batteries are not something to mess about with plus you'd need a supply of new sulphuric acid, which is now a restricted item.

James May referred to it as "the worst car for this year - and indeed for every other year whilst we have breath in our bodies — it is the most stupid, useless and dangerous car ever to stalk the earth. It is totally terrible, and disgusting."

 

[gaz1]

Lead acid batteries are not something to mess about with plus you'd need a supply of new sulphuric acid, which is now a restricted item.

for the moment not as bad as lithium batterys

may hold charge better but not as recyclable at the moment

now sodium batterys are interesting

 

[CompoSimmonite]

look up indian lead acid battery repair its interesting

This is what makes me think that there must be places that refurbish, as new, forklift batteries along the same methods. In the past (pre 1980's ?) you had places that would dismantle a battery and reuse the case. I had a "Finch" battery that developed a duff cell under warrantee period so took it to the local dealer who said "leave it with me" and when I collected it later tin the day they had sorted it out - that battery lasted years !

 

[mtt.tr]

There is a battery manufacturer In bishop Stortford called "shield " might be worth calling

 

[gaz1]

its interesting like i said

 

[awemawson]

I resurrected a set of traction batteries a few years back - 48 volt bank from a 'works truck' that had sat unused for too long. I drained them, flushed them several times with boiled water (to make sure any 'hardness' was gone) to get rid of the sediment then refilled with the correct specific gravity sulphuric acid. I then 're-formed' them by several high current charge / discharge cycles using an oil filled welder plus rectifier bridge (charging) and a coil of heavy duty 2.5 mm galvanised fence wire wrapped round an asbestos chimney pipe (discharge).

I eventually got them back to over 80% of their original capacity.

 

[Agroshield]

This is what makes me think that there must be places that refurbish, as new, forklift batteries along the same methods.

Maybe worth calling these people to sound out the possiblities: https://www.pbbatterysolutions.co.uk/

 

[eddie49]

Some accounts of various conversions of G-Wiz EVs to Lithium-Ion:

REVAi/G-Wiz: Lead Acid to Lithium Ion Battery Conversion...

www.speakev.com

 

[Matrixx]

They may just need a proper recharge "gassing" as the battery's discharge the acid turns to water ( hence the SG tells you how much charge is left), so by adding a set specific gravity will have no effect on the actual charge. the gassing phase bubbles (hydrogen) on the plates cleaning them off .

 

[Melvyn Best]

Way back in 1967 before I left school one of the school visits to local employers was to a battery specialists that demonstrated on an old battery how they would remove a faulty cell and replace with a new one . Bet there’s not a lot of them left these days

 

[owas]

Carthrottle just did a little series on the gwiz, god what an awful thing

 

[merryman]

If reviving dead cells was possible there would be no need for new batteries. I used to mend forklifts, the electrician I worked with would check the batteries regularly and once a few cells got below par he would send for the Oldham battery man, who would melt the straps off the dead cells and the ones next to them, then pull the cells vertically upwards, away from the rest. Then slide a new one in and melt new straps on, and yes, he did have right arm muscles like Geoff Capes.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Carthrottle just did a little series on the gwiz, god what an awful thing

I have mobility problems so want one for local running around as I can't walk more than a few yards

 

[owas]

I have mobility problems so want one for local running around as I can't walk more than a few yards

Surely there's better options?

 

[Bornfree]

If reviving dead cells was possible there would be no need for new batteries. I used to mend forklifts, the electrician I worked with would check the batteries regularly and once a few cells got below par he would send for the Oldham battery man, who would melt the straps off the dead cells and the ones next to them, then pull the cells vertically upwards, away from the rest. Then slide a new one in and melt new straps on, and yes, he did have right arm muscles like Geoff Capes.

The first time I saw this done I ran for cover. The battery man used a blowtorch on a fully charged battery pack weighing 2 tons. All he did was open the caps to let the hydrogen vent off for a few minutes and got the blowtorch out.

 

[knighty]

I saved a forklift set following advice from a bunch of people who live off grid

I fully charged them, then left them charging at about 10amps for 2 weeks.... let them bubble away all day/night and topped them up as needed

I don't know how good they were compared to new.... but they went from useless (when I bought the forklift) to lasting for days

 

[eddie49]

Have you already bought the car?
Here's one for sale for £3,500 that has apparently already had a massive Li-ion battery upgrade:

Used Other Cars for Sale in Weymouth, Dorset | Gumtree

Find amazing local prices on used Other cars for sale in Weymouth, Dorset ✅ Shop hassle-free with Gumtree, your local buying & selling community.

www.gumtree.com

 

[Matrixx]

On Nuclear submarines they regularly gas the batteries as part of the maintenance regime.